If receiver Diontae Johnson is hoping to get released by the Ravens so that he can clear waivers and sign with another contender, he shouldn’t hold his breath.
The Ravens surely won’t give him a one-way ticket out of town. For one very important reason.
Johnson is in his contract year. If/when he signs elsewhere during the early weeks of free agency, Johnson’s departure will count toward the Ravens’ haul of 2026 compensatory draft picks.
The Ravens are masters of getting the most out of the compensatory draft-pick process. It’s surely one of the reasons why they traded for Johnson. Short-term help, long-term replacement of the fifth-round pick that was surrendered for Johnson and a sixth-round pick.
Johnson refused to enter Sunday’s game against the Eagles, according to the Ravens. Some teams would have responded to such an indignity by cutting the player. The Ravens have instead suspended him — with a public declaration of the reason for it.
If he doesn’t do what he’s expected to do, they’ll suspend him again. And they’ll keep suspending him until the season has ended and it’s time to start the countdown before he signs at a time that it counts toward Baltimore’s compensatory draft picks.
In four games with the Ravens, Johnson has one catch for six yards and five targets.
So one catch, one suspension, and one problem that won’t be solved by trying to get the Ravens to release him.
